Raisin-seeder



(No Model.) I v G. M5 HORTON.

RAISIN SBEDER. I

Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

ANDREW 8.6mm

M. Pnmcumuwnsumsmw D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. HORTON, OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAlSlN-SEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,967, dated December24;, 1895.

Application filed April 30, 1895- Serial No. 547,615. '(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. HORTON, of Reading, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Raisin- Seeders, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to that class of raisinseeders employing asupporting-frame having a hopper, a serrated metal roll supported by theframe below the hopper, an elastic pressure-roll located at one side ofthe serrated roll, said rolls being arranged to receive between themraisins which fall from the hopper, and a comb-plate affixed to theframe below the serrated roll and having teeth which engage theserrations of said roll and eject therefrom the raisin-pulp which isforced into the spaces between the teeth of the roll bythe pressure ofthe elastic roll, the seeds of the ,raisins being pressed into theelastic roll by the serrated roll and carried downwardly and outwardlyby the elastic roll until they drop upon a deflecting plate on the frameof the machine.

The invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in araisin-seeder of this class looking to the convenient and readyseparation of the serrated roll, comb-plate, and elastic roll from theframe of the machine, to the end that they may be conveniently cleaned;and to this end the invention consists in the improvements which I willnow proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a raisin-seeder embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3represents a top view. Fig; 4 represents a section on line 4 4 ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the comb-plate.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

The supporting frame of the machine comprises the arm or bracket aprovided with suitable clamping means whereby it may be engaged with atable or other support, the hopper a formed on the upper portion of saidarm, the chamber a below said hopper for the reception of the serratedroll I), said chamber being open at one end and at its bottom,

and a seat a formed on the lower edge of the side wall of said chamberto support the comb-plate c. The frame also includes the guides 00* awhich project from one side of the hopper and are formed to supporttheblock d, which supports the stud 01 upon which the elastic pressure-rolle is mounted to rotate loosely. The frame is also provided below theelastic roll with an inclined deflecting-plate a on which theraisin-stones which are carried away from'the serrated roll I) by theelastic roll drop, and by which said stones are deflected outwardly fromthe point where the raisin-pulp falls when dislodged from the serratedroll by the teeth of the comb-plate c.

The relative arrangement of the serrated and elastic rolls, the hopper,and the combplate, form no part of my present invention, saidarrangement beingold.

frepresents a crank-shaft, which is journaled in a bearing a formed onthe supporting-frame at one end of the chamber a shaft projects into thechamber a and is provided therein with a coupling member f, here shownas a pin driven transversely through the shaft and projecting outsidethe periphery thereon within the chamber (R. It will be observed thatthis pin by coming against the bearing a constitutes means for confiningthe shaft, and hence performs a double function.

The serrated roll e is provided with a lon- Said gitudinal bore formedto receive the shaft f and to move freely onto and off from the same,said roll being provided with a coupling member 6 formed to engage thecoupling -member f of the shaft, said member 6 as here shown beingagroove or cavity formed in one end of the roll e to engage the couplingmember f, said members being formed so that the operation of placing theroll upon the shaft engages the two coupling members which rotativelyconnect the roll and shaft. The provision of the coupling membersenables the roll to be secured in place upon the shaft by a simpledevice, such as a cotter-pin g engaged with the outer portion of theshaft and bearing on the outer end of the roll,sa id pin being readilyremovable so that the roll can be quickly removed from and applied tothe machine.

The comb-seat a is parallel with the shaft Too I) and is provided with aclamping-screw a adapted to secure the comb-plate to said seat, saidplate having an open-ended slot 0 extending lengthwise and formed sothat when the screw a is loosened the comb-plate can be removed from themachine with the roll 1) without disengaging the teeth 0 of thecombplate from the teeth of the roll I). It will be seen, therefore,that in order to prepare the serrated roll and the comb-plate forremoval it is only necessary to remove the cotter-pin g and loosen,without removing, the clampingscrew a said roll and plate being thenfreely removable. After they are removed they can be convenientlyseparated and cleaned, and then re-engaged before they are reapplied tothe machine,so that they can be applied simultaneously and secured byapplying the cotterpin and tightening the clamping-screw (L The elasticpressure-roll e, which is made of rubber or a compound thereof, ismounted to rotate loosely upon the stud (1, which is screw-threaded andengaged with the block d, the latter being fitted to slide into and outof the seats formed upon the guides a a. The stud d is provided at oneend with a clamping-nut (1 which bears against the outer sides of theguides a and co-operates with the block (1 in holding the stud in placeon said guides when the device is in operation. By loosening theclamping-nut, the stud d, block (1, and roll 6 may be readily removedfrom the machine.

It will be seen that the described improvements make the separation ofthe parts for cleaning purposes very convenient, and their assemblageequally convenient, this being an important advantage when it isconsidered that the machine requires to be cleaned after everyoperation.

I claim In a raisin seeder, the combination of a supporting frame havinga hopper and a journalbearing below the same; a crank-shaft extendingthrough and beyond said bearing and having a radial abutment orabutments eX- tending over the end of the bearing and confining theshaft therein; a grooved and serrated wheel adapted to be slid onto saidshaft andhaving a radial recess or recesses in one side receiving theabutment or abutments on the shaft whereby positive rotary connection isestablished between the shaft and wheel while their disconnection bylongitudinal movement is permitted; means for confining the wheel on theshaft; and an elastic roll arranged in juxtaposition to the serratedwheel and adjustable toward and from. the same, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of April, A. D.1895.

CHARLES M. HORTON. Witnesses:

0. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

